Open Source Fuzzing Tools

Chapter 9. What Is a File?

Solutions in this chapter:

• Are File Fuzzers Special?

• Analyzing and Building Files

• Frameworks

Introduction

Since we are interested in the fuzzing aspects, and to study generating various malformed files, we will make some distinctions first:

• A file is some sort of input for an application.

• Configuration file (could be in formats such as XML, INI)

• Data file (e.g., GIF, AVI, EML)

• We assume there must be an automated process to “generate” (“save”) that file, as it was generated by some application.

• Following the same logic, we deduce there must be an automated process to “load” the file.

• The file format could be binary or textual—this would become relevant in the way we treat data inside it.

Our agenda is to provide a process to generate ...